Up-to-the minute updates and insights from the Red Wings locker room at home and on the road. By Chuck Pleiness of The Macomb Daily.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Thoughts on Game 29 (5-2 win over Carolina)

-- With Carolina not using a fourth line, Tomas Kopecky, Aaron Downey and Matt Ellis were out of the mix for the Red Wings. Downey had one second-period shift lasting 1:12. Ellis had two second-period shifts for four minutes of total ice time. In that one shift, however, Downey was credited with a team-high three hits.-- Pavel Datsyuk is being used at the start of opposition power plays when the faceoff is in the Detroit zone. Datsyuk takes the faceoff (with Dan Cleary on the ice in case Datsyuk is waved out) and if he wins it, leaves the ice so that Dallas Drake can jump on. Datsyuk went 3-1 on such draws, a remarkable performance against Rod Brind'Amour.-- Fraser native Chad LaRose looked like he was off his game in his first NHL regular-season appearance at Joe Louis Arena.-- Jiri Hudler started the season with one assist in eight games, but has 19 points in the 21 games since, including seven goals.-- Dominik Hasek is 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average since watching six of seven games. His slump is over.-- Detroit has a power-play goal in each of its last 11 games. The last time the Red Wings had a streak that long was an 11-gamer from March 1-23, 2006. The last time Detroit had a longer streak was a 15-gamer from Dec. 31, 2005-Jan. 30, 2006.